Kevin Dean was selected 86th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.

Dean played high school hockey at Culver Academy. In 1987-88, he enrolled at the University of New Hampshire and scored seven points as a Hockey East freshman. After scoring 13 points the following season, he then scored eight points from the blueline in 1989-90. In 1990-91, he scored 22 points in 31 games. At the end of the year, he joined the Utica Devils and played seven AHL games. In 1994-95 Dean helped the Albany River Rats to the AHL's Calder Cup championship.

On February 27, 1995, Dean made his NHL debut in a match against the Montreal Canadiens and played 17 games during the regular season. In the playoffs, he played three games as the Devils won the Prince of Wales Trophy in the Eastern Conference finals and then the Stanley Cup in the finals, sweeping the Detroit Red Wings.

On November 28, 1996, Dean scored his first NHL goal, against the Phoenix Coyotes' Nikolai Khabibulin. In 1997-98, he played 50 games as the Devils won their second straight Atlantic Division title. In 1998-99, he played 62 games for the Devils and helped the team win yet another Atlantic Division title.

On June 25, 1999, the Atlanta Thrashers claimed Dean in the Expansion Draft. After just 23 games, he was then traded on December 15 to the Dallas Stars for a ninth-round draft pick. After 14 games with the Stars, he was traded yet again on February 8 with Derek Plante and a second-round draft pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for Sylvain Cote and Dave Manson, where he played in 27 games down the stretch with the Blackhawks. In 2000-01 he played in 69 games for the Blackhawks, picking up eleven assists.

He also has the distinction of having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup and the AHL's Calder Trophy champions in the same season back in 1995.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1985-86

Culver Academy Eagles

High-IN

35

28

44

72

48

1986-87

Culver Academy Eagles

High-IN

25

19

25

44

30

1987-88

U. of New Hampshire

H-East

27

1

6

7

34

1987-88

United States

WJC-A

7

0

0

0

0

1988-89

U. of New Hampshire

H-East

34

1

12

13

28

1989-90

U. of New Hampshire

H-East

39

2

6

8

42

1990-91

U. of New Hampshire

H-East

31

10

12

22

22

1990-91

Utica Devils

AHL

7

0

1

1

2

1991-92

Utica Devils

AHL

23

0

3

3

6

1991-92

Cincinnati Cyclones

ECHL

30

3

22

25

43

9

1

6

7

8

1992-93

Cincinnati Cyclones

IHL

13

2

1

3

15

1992-93

Utica Devils

AHL

57

2

16

18

76

5

1

0

1

8

1993-94

Albany River Rats

AHL

70

9

33

42

92

5

0

2

2

7

1994-95

Albany River Rats

AHL

68

5

37

42

66

8

0

4

4

4

1994-95

New Jersey Devils

NHL

17

0

1

1

4

+6

3

0

2

2

0

1995-96

New Jersey Devils

NHL

41

0

6

6

28

+4

1995-96

Albany River Rats

AHL

1

1

0

1

2

1996-97

New Jersey Devils

NHL

28

2

4

6

6

+2

1

1

0

1

0

1996-97

Albany River Rats

AHL

2

0

1

1

4

1997-98

New Jersey Devils

NHL

50

1

8

9

12

+12

5

1

0

1

2

1997-98

Albany River Rats

AHL

2

0

1

1

2

0

1997-98

United States

WC-A

3

0

0

0

0

1998-99

New Jersey Devils

NHL

62

1

10

11

22

+4

7

0

0

0

0

1999-00

Atlanta Thrashers

NHL

23

1

0

1

14

-5

1999-00

Dallas Stars

NHL

14

0

0

0

10

-1

1999-00

Chicago Blackhawks

NHL

27

2

8

10

12

+9

2000-01

Chicago Blackhawks

NHL

69

0

11

11

30

-16

2001-02

Milwaukee Admirals

AHL

76

5

14

19

33

-3

NHL Totals

331

7

48

55

138

16

2

2

4

2

AHL First All-Star Team (1995)

Claimed by Atlanta from New Jersey in Expansion Draft, June 25, 1999. Traded to Dallas by Atlanta for Dallas' 9th round pick (Mark McRae) in 2000 NHL Draft, December 15, 1999. Traded to Chicago by Dallas with Derek Plante and Dallas' 2nd round pick (Matt Keith) in 2001 NHL Draft for Sylvain Cote and Dave Manson, February 8, 2000.